The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-05-19
THE GRASSES.
Delivered Before the High Point Farmers
Institute, april, 1887.
BY DR.. ]. BIRD, OF TRINITY.

Liz SIICo!lSi"S VI wa
Southern agriculture at the present
day draws attention to other crops
and pursuits legitimate in the calling
of the farm, and which have hereto
fore had very little attention given to
them, some of which are the cultiva-
ton of the grasses and clover, the
growing Of live stock, and dairying.
To make the latter a success, attention
to the former becomes an imperative
necessity. Of all the vegetable king
dom the grass family is the most i'm
portant to man, for included in it
are not only those plants which make
pasture in our fields and ranges for
our focks and herds through all the
summer, and fill our barns with hay
for their feed during the winter, but
the wheat, rye, oats, barley, the corn,
the rice, the sorghums and millets also
belong to it.
In England there are two hundred
varieties of grasses in cultivation. In
the catalogues of some of the leading
seed houses in this country only thirty
varieties are named of which they
sell j; and of these cultivated for hay
in the United States, the Timothy
makes the greatest bulk of all, if not
more than all the others together. 1t
is also sown extensively with clover
for pasture. The greater number Of
our farmers in the hay and dairy
regions of the North prefer it to the
other grasses for cultivation. It yields
an abundance Of seed, is easily grown,
stands the winters cold and summers
heat as we'll as any grass We CAR grow.
From eight to sixteen quarts of seed
per acre sown on well-manured clay
loan or on well-drained rich bottom
lands, will yield from one to two tons
of hay per acre. Although sown as
it is largely for pasture, it's dubious
root is easily injured by the tramping
of stock and killed out. : It is pre-
eminently a hay grass-probably the
very best.
The orchard grass is a true pasture
grass; beginning its growth at the
first breathings Of vernal weather, it
ceases not, the live long summer and
through the fall, till the frosts of win
ter check all growth, to enew itself
after each cropping. Like the blue
grass, the pride and boast, of many of
u most noted grazing sections, it is
constantly putting forth it's long, slen-
der blades of feed during all the grow
ing season. Owing to it's tendency to
tussoc or bunch, it is considered bet
ter to sow other grasses or clovers
with it. With clover, both ripening
about the same time, it makes a most
excellent hay-relished by stock and
very nutritious. From ten to twenty
quarts Of seed to the acre, on we'll
prepared land gives a good stand.
The blue grass is occasionally sown,
but it has spread in it's own pecu-
liar way very extensively through
most Of the older grazing and dairy
sections Of III country, where it now
forms extensive pastures-pastures
that will remain for ages if the fertil-
ity of the soil is kept up, and no
bushes, briars Or noxious weeds are
allowed to grow. Both the orchard
and blue grass, if not grazed during
the fall months, but left to grow, &C
cumulate a fine math, make a most
excellent winter pasture; especially
in our own latitude and farther South.
The red top or herds grass is n of
some value, found in most natural
meadow moving lands that are cared
for, and their fertility kept up. On
the pipe clay lands Of our State it ap-
pears to be a natural growth, and sue
ceeds well also on low swamp lands.
Besides these grasses just mentioned,
with a few exceptions, the balance
named by the seedsmen, spring up ere
long in land devoted to pasture and
kept we'll MANFRED.
. We have other grasses that are
hardy over most of the country South
of the latitude of Richmond and yield
munifcent crops on all good soils, and
even on the most sterile land when
once they have gained root-hold.
They a sod, although it may be
a short and stubby growth, that keeps
the rains from washing the earth into
gullies. They are the Guinea grass,
the johnson grass or sorghum, Hal
phense and the Bermuda grass. Their
roots are perennial, but the top kills
down by the frost.
The Guinea grass is propagated by
root cuttings-generally in drill. If
allowed to grow, it will reach a height